Colds, Ascorbic Acid Metabolism, and Vitamin C C.W.

THE

major

modern

the

This

WILSON,

with

investigation

abreast of scientific

the

reviewed. particularly

with

associated

scientific

of keeping vant to being apply

problem

M.

is

that

the literature relesubject which is problem appears to to reviews dealing

relationship

between

administra-

M.D.,

cally effect

results

accept

the,

Pauling

theoretical thesis

vitamin

basis

that

could

of the

megadoses

reduce

both

men.

This

evidence

of

evidence

from

altogether, that daily, effect

exerts against

good practice to recommend vitamin C as a prophylactic

or prescribe against com-

Odumosu, and a dose-response

mon

for

it

may

30

to

Colds

and

A

Vitamin

series

carried

of.

out

C investigations

between

has

1942

signed to examine administration of vitamin

and

the effect prophylactic

C, varying

from

200

daily, on the incidence and the symptoms which make up results of these investigations in the and

Table

were basis. out

I.

effects identical all Alt by

Each of

performed except the

From the’ Department versity of’ Dublin, Ireland.’ 570

et

been

1974

de-

produced doses

by of

to 2000

mg

severity of a cold. The are shown

investigation

administration tablets of vitamin

‘Cowan

them.”2

compared of

placebo C. They

on a double-blind investigation carried al.3

of Trinity

showed

a

statisti-

Pharmacology, 11thCollege, Dublin 2,

Anderson

et

al.9

these

trials

is

dose

of

the

per

cent

The

Walker son:

the

of the

syndrome

occurred

tion

of the

virus

toms

were

less

process

the

day

was

more

The

Journal

out

by

by Wilpla-

C, 3 Gm daily, weeks before in44 and The cold

after

instilla-

subjects. peak

earlier,

Clinical

Symp-

illness

and

advanced of

thera-

carried

24 hours frequent,

a

cold. The in Table

of rhinovirus instillation.

in all the

in at

criticized administered

vitamin for two

instillation week after

colds

C when adminor at the time

trial

has been ct al.19

tranasal for one

one

about

of the common is summarized

desigTi et al.18 Schwartz

of population

vitamin before,

cebo tablets and to male subjects

reached

C, mg

prophylactic cold. Loh,

incidence of

benefit of inunediately

of, development available evidence II.

vitamin

Wilson17 have constructed curve which suggests that

daily dose of 500 mg. There is less evidence peutic istered

the

considered

200-2000

significant the common

reduce 40

the

When

of

range

a

by by

overwhelmingly

administration

the

a

confirmed

is supported

it demonstrates

daily

within

or. as a treatment

been

Stone-

and severity of colds, as it is to adduce convincing experimental evidence in its favour,”1 and “I would not regard it as

colds

has

et al.1#{176} and

the

of

effect by the colleagues7’15’16

vitamin C exerts a effect in women than

Coulehan

frequency

by Paulof Cowan’s

production

his

claimed that prophylactic

Ireland

prophylactic C. Cowan’s sta-

the

prophylactic Wilson and

it was to of

the

in

Dublin,

was challenged that reanalysis

demonstrated

beneficial vitamin.

able in two recent stated, “it is as

F.R.C.P.E.

beneficial of vitamin

tistical analysis ing.4 He stated

have greater

in which unreservedly

Sc.D..

significant in favor

tion of supplementary vitamin C and the symptom complex described as the common cold. This was particularly noticereviews difficult

Ph.D.,

on

was

resolution the

fourth

Pharmacology

COLDS

day

of the

of the of the ing

syndrome

among

the

AND

VITAMIN

recipients

demonstrated

vitamin C. Daily nasal shedding virus was less in the group receiv-

the

vitamin

C.

The

vitamin

has

peutic effect

been

Effect

Investigator

Cowan

et

dose

et

Pauling,4 Cowan3

al.66

Daily (mg)

Charleston

and

Clegg64.61

C Versus

and

3 24

no

benefit

>0.05

no

benefit

>0.05

incidence severity